This week on Smart Casual, live from Kildare Village, considered shopping and mohair horror stories

Smart Casual is IMAGE’s first fashion podcast, in collaboration with Kildare Village. In our bi-weekly chats, we examine why we wear the clothes we do and deal with personal style in a way that speaks to you. 

This week sees a very special episode of Smart Casual take to the airwaves, as our host Dominique McMullan headed to the VIP Suite at Kildare Village to chat to two special guests for the podcast. Annmarie O’Connor, stylist and model, and Indy Power, author and food blogger behind The Little Green Spoon, spoke to Dominique in front of a live audience of dedicated shoppers, who joined in with the conversation on Sunday morning.

Our three panellists chatted about everything from what makes personal style personal, to their fashion horror stories (top tip: avoid mohair jumpers and leather pants). A huge theme of the morning’s chat was how to shop responsibly. So often in the current fast-fashion obsessed landscape, buyers feel under pressure to constantly buy new products and update their look. As Indy mentioned, being on social media has a huge effect on how we consume fashion, and seeing fashion influencers never wearing the same outfit twice can take its toll. Annmarie encouraged the audience to be mindful with how and why they shop – make a list of what you really need, and take notice of what suits you and what doesn’t. Having a capsule collection that works across all occasions and seasons is truly the mark of a stylish woman.

Episode 5 of Smart Casual, in collaboration with Kildare Village, is available now on SoundCloud and iTunes – make sure to like, subscribe and rate us wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Smart Casual is hosted by Dominique McMullan, Marie Kelly and Niamh O’Donoghue, and produced by Erin Lindsay. If you can’t wait to download, have a listen to the new episode below: